Celery cutter



Nov. 12, 1946. T. J. BELL 2,410,860

- CELERY- CUTTER I Filed March 8, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet l N 750mm- BeZZNOV. 12, 1946. L 2,410,860

CELERY CUTTER Filed March 8, 1944 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 750mm J22 T. J. BELLGELERY CUTTER Nov. 12, 194-6.

4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 8, 1944 Inventor u- 2 m an a No v.,l2,1946. J. BELL 2,410,860

CELERY CUTTER Filed March 8, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Nov. 12,1946 CELERY CUTTER Thomas J. Bell, Sarasota, Fla.

Application March 8, 1944, Serial No. 525,481,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a celery cutting machine, and more especiallyto a boom pivotally secured to the rear end of a tractor and havingthereon a plurality of vertically adjustable cutters with means wherebythe hydraulic mechanism of the tractor is adapted to lift the boom andthe cutters for transporting from place to place and is also adapted tolower the cutters to a predetermined position for a cutting operationwith each individual cutter having individual adjusting means to suitthe contour conditions of the land and whereby a plurality of rows ofcelery can be cut simultaneously.

In celery growing, the rows are laid off a definite distance apart andare perfectly straight so as to facilitate cultivating and sprayingoperations. These rows are usually, in order to adapt themselves tospray boom, and cutting operations, laid off usually with four rowsthirty inches apart with the fifth row being about thirty-two inchesfrom the fourth row and the sixth row about thirty-eight inches from thefifth row. Then the next succeeding rows are laid out in a, reversepattern with a thirty inch row, then a thirty-eight inch row, then athirty-two inch row, and then three additional rows thirty inches apartso that the thirty-eight inch rows'will accommodate tractor wheels andthe thirty-two inch rows will accommodate a downwardly extending sprayon a spray boom used for spraying the celery and where rows are laid outin this manner, the cutter is so adjusted as to properly cut the rowsand once the cutters are adjusted laterally of the boom on the tractor,continuous rounds of cutting operations can be carried out so that thecutters will exactly coincide with the rows of celery.

For many years celery was cut with a long knife or machette which was avery laborious operation. In later years, a hand tool has been devisedcomprising a wheeled frame having an inverted U-shaped bow with thewheels running on each side of a celery row and trailing behind thisframe was a U-shaped cutter, and a strong man would push this wheeledframe along the celery row and by holding the cutting blade at adefinite distance just beneath the top of the soil, the celery is cut.This is a very laborious operation and requires able bodied men with apremium price per day for this "type of work. Furthermore, this cuttingoperation is never accurate, and sometimes the stalks are out too lowleaving a good many side roots on the celery stalk which requiresfurther hand trimming and thus increasing the cost of harvesting thecelery.

v 2 I Furthermore, by this type of cutting celery whether it be by themachette or the hand pushed wheeled tool, if the celery were out toonear the top of the ground, it causes total destruction of the stalk ofcelery for marketing purpose as the outer branches of the celery aresevered from the binding root'and fall apart leaving exposed only thehearts of the celery which are not marketable in this mutilatedcondition.

After the celery is cut, a crew of strippers follow behind the cuttingoperation and remove the undesirable outer stalks and leaves and thenpack it into a field box which has one of its sides and top open and along machette is employed by a laborer who with one stroke severs theupper ends of the stalks and thus ricls the celery stalk of the surplusfoliage.

It is an object of this invention to provide a celery cutter comprisingan elongated boom disposed transversely and pivotally secured to therear end of a tractor and having a plurality of cutters thereon forcutting a plurality of rows of celery at the same time, said tractorsometimes being especially geared down so as to travel slowly to allowthe operator or operators following behind to individually adjust thecutters to suit the conditions of each row. I

' It is another object of this invention to provide a -celery cutteradapted to be attached to a tractor having a, plurality of cuttingblades thereon for cutting a plurality of rows of celery having meansfor turning the cut celery over on its side immediately after the stalkshave been out.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the cutter showing it attached to therear end of a tractor;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken along the line 2-2 inFigure 1, showing a modified form of mounting the cutting blades andshowing the means for supporting and pivoting the boom disposedtransversely of the tractor, the mechanism associated with the otherwheel of the tractor being identical to that shown in Figure 2, butopposite-hand;

Figure 3 is an enlarged elevation'taken along the line 33 in Figure 1,showing a modified form of mounting the cutting blades and showing theparts broken away, and omitting the top pipe of the boom;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view. taken through the central portionof Figure 3, land 3 omitting the clamping mechanism and square pipeassociated therewith;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 55 in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in section and takenalong the line 66 in Figure 1;

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 1-1 in Figure6;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation, and takenalong the line 88 in Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral III indicatesthe rear axle housing of a tractor which has on each end thereof a gearhousing II with suitable gearings therein meshing with suitable gearing,not shown, in a gear housing I2 which is integral with the gear housingI I and in gear housing 2 is a suitable stub axle, not shown, which isdriven by the axle I3 in axle housing I for propelling the wheels I4 ofthe tractor. Secured to the inner surface of each of the housings I2 isa bracket I5 which has fixed thereto a link I6, and a second link I! isfixed to housing II and is joined as at [8 to the link IS. The upperends of links I6 have bearing portions I9 in which a rod 20 is rotatablymounted. Each end of the rod 20 has a crank 2| thereon which is adaptedto have its ends rotatably mounted in suitable cuffs 22 slidablydisposed on rods 23, and a stop collar 24 limits upward movement of thecollar 22. A compression spring 25 is disposed around each rod 25 belowthe collar 22, and is restricted in its downward movement by means ofpin 26.

The lower end of each of the rods 23 is loosely secured in a pair ofplate members 30 which are fixed on a square pipe 3| extending acrossthe rear portion of the tractor forming a part of a boom. An eyebolt 35penetrates the upper portions of plates 30, and has adjustably securedtherein one end of a link 36, the other end of the link being pivotallysecured as at 31 in the link I6. Pivotally secured to the lower portionof bracket I5 is a link 38 which is also pivotally secured at its otherend as at 39 to one of the plates 30.

Extending rearwardly from and fixedly secured to the rod 20 is an arm 45which has welded thereto an upwardly extending portion 46 and in theupper end as at 41 is pivotally mounted a hand lever 48 which has aspring pressed pawl 49 adapted to engage notches 5D in an arcuate member5| which is integral with a bar 52. The lower end of lever 48 ispivotally connected as at 53 to the rear end of bar 52. Bar 52 isconnected to the hydraulic lifting and lowering mechanism of the tractor(not shown) so that by means of the hydraulic mechanism, and with thelever 48 set in a fixed position in one of the cavities 50, themechanism can pivot on pivots at the rear ends of links 36 and 38 andpivots 35 and 39 to raise and lower the cutting mechamsm.

The square pipe 3| has associated therewith an upper pipe 60, and aplurality'of interconnecting pipes 6| extend between the pipes 3| and 60and are welded thereto to rigidly secure the same together. The pipe 60has also a pair of downwardly projecting members 62 whose lower ends areflattened and are penetrated by the eyebolts 35 in plate members 30 toact as additional securing means between the pipes 60 and 3|.

Mounted on the pipe 3| is a plurality of clamps each comprising a pairof U bolts 65, a plate 66, to which is welded a right angular member 61,and a second right angular member 68 is adapted to be penetrated by thefree ends of the U bolts 65 with suitable nuts placed on the free endsof the U bolts 65 for rigidly clamping the right angle members 61 and 68around pipe 3| and also for rigidly clamping a vertically disposedsquared pipe III in position relative to the pipe 3| as it is heldrigidly against the plate 66. Slidably mounted within pipe I0 is asmaller squared pipe TI which has pivotally secured thereto as at I2 alink I3, the upper ends of the link I3 being pivotally secured as at I4to the intermediate portion of a hand lever I5 which is pivoted as at I6to a forwardly projecting ear II which is integral with plate 18 whichrises from one side of outer pipe I0 and has a segmental gear into whichthe lower end of a pawl 8| is adapted to fit in one of the teeth of gear86 for holding the lever I5 in adjusted position. It is evident that bythe hydraulic mechanism and the draw bar 52, the position of the entirecutting mechanism relative to the ground can be adjusted, and thensmaller individual adjustments can be made in each cutter by means ofthe levers I5 to suit the land conditions.

On the lower end of pipe II, there is secured by any suitable means suchas welding a washer 84 which limits upward movement of pipe II relativeto pipe ID. Welded to the lower end of pipe II and t washer 84 is ashank 85. This shank extends rearwardly and downwardly and has a bolt 86penetrating the same which secures to this shank 85, a cutting blade 88,which projects outwardly across a row of celery and is adapted to traveljust beneath the top of the soil surrounding the celery. Bolt alsosecures a turning vane or blade 81 which is adapted to engage the celeryafter it is cut, or while it is being cut and to push it forwardly andlaterally to turn it over, so that all the stalks of celery in a rowwill fall in the same direction, and thus clear a way for the strippingcrew to walk and also make it more easily seized and stripped by thestripping crew.

If desired, instead of connecting the blade 88 directly to the shank 85on bolt 86, shank 85 can have welded thereto if desired a support 89 andto this support 89, the shank of blade 88 can be secured by means of abolt 90 so as to permit the blade to be removed without removing thevane 81.

In an elongated boom such as that shown in the drawings and composed ofpipes 3| and 60 and interconnectihg pipes 6| and members 62 and plate 30and eyebolts 35, there is a certain amount of resiliency. Some meanshave to be provided in case the lay of the land is such that it ishigher at one end of the boom than at the other to prevent the cuttersfrom cutting too deeply. Therefore, I have provided a ground wheel neareach end of the boom which is adapted to limit the downward motion ofone end of the boom when the other end of the boom might be travellingover ground which is somewhat higher than the ground at the other end ofthe boom. It sometimes happens that the spraying machinery andcultivating machinery which is drawn by a tractor, results in thetractor wheels sinking down in places where the ground is soft, andforming deep depressions for a short distance in the rows where thetractor wheels have passed, and thus the side ground wheels connected tothe boom prevent the ends of the boom from getting too close to the 5ground, thuscausing thes'cutters to cut the celery toodeeply in theground. These ground wheels are secured to the pipes 9 I by an:identical clamp tofthat described for thersecuring of theicuttermechanisms to the pipe '3I. The ground wheel mounts each comprises asquared pipe 95 which is su'rroundedby a pair of U bolts 65'and hasassociatedtherewith a clamping mechanism identical to that previouslydescribed. The pipe 95 which is squared up to point 96 has welded on itsupper end a round pipe 9'!- which is threaded to threadably receive acap 98' and disposed within the squared pipe 95 isa smaller squared pipe99- to the lower end of which is secured an outturned axle I on which ismounted a wheel IOI which is preferably of the pneumatic variety. Thewheels IOI are adapted to travel in a, furrow between or adjacent to theouter rows of the swath being cut by the cutting mechanism attached tothe rear end of the tractor. has a'pair of slots I02 in opposed walls inwhich is slidably mounted a pin I03 which penetrates the inner squaredpipe 99 and allows vertical movement of the inner pipe 99 relative tothe outer pipe 95. Resting on the upper end of inner pipe 99 is acompression spring I05 of desired rigidness which is engaged by a plugI00 disposed inside the cap 98 and by screwing or unscrewin the cap 90on the threaded portion of pipe 91, the amount of downward stressexerted on the wheel IN is regulated. The slots I02 and pin I03 preventthe inner pipe 99 from dropping out of the outer pipe 95 when themechanism is raised to transport position. The resiliency thusadditionally imparted to the resilient wheel IOI allows this wheel tomove upwardly relative to the boom 95 when a high place in the ground isencountered without unduly straining the boom mechanism, and it alsoautomatically regulates the cutting depth of the cutters disposed oneach end of the boom.

In the drawings the stalks of celery are indicated by referencecharacter I04, and although I have described and shown this cuttingmechanism as being especially adaptable for the cutting of celery, it isevident that it could be used for cuttin other forms of vegetation.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for thepurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in theclaims.

I claim:

1. In a celery cutter, a boom disposed transversely of a tractor, meanspivotally mounting the boom on the tractor, means for moving the boomupwardly on the pivots for lifting the same to inoperative position, orfor lowering the same to operative position, a plurality of verticallyadjustable cutters disposed on said boom, there being a cutter for eachrow of celery, a lever and segmental gear for individually adjustingeach of the cutters vertically relative to said boom, means connected toa power driven element on the tractor for raising and lowering the boomtogether with the cutters carried thereby, and vertically adjustable andresiliently mounted ground engaging means mounted on the boom adjacenteach end thereof for regulating the position of each end of the boomrelative to the ground over which the tractor is traveling.

2. In combination, a tractor, a pair of links pivoted at one end to thetractor, a boom com- The outer pipe 95 prising aplurality ortransversely disposed mem bersl secured to each other in superposedrelation and pivotally secured at the other ends of said links, arotatable rod mounted on the trac- 5 tor and having a crank at each endthereof, a

pair of upwardly projecting rods pivotally secured at their lower endsto the boom, and

spring-pressed means on an intermediate por- 10 tion of the rodspivotally secured to the crank oscillating the rod havingthe cranksthereon for'raising and loweringthe boom, a plurality of verticallyslidable members mounted on said boom and disposed in spaced relationtransversely of the boom, a shank disposed on the lower portion of eachvertically slidable member and having a transversely projecting bladesecured thereto and adapted to extend across a row of celery for cuttingthe celery, a lever and segmental gear for individually adjusting eachcutter vertically of the boom to regulate the depth at which the celeryis cut and to exert a downward positive pressure on the blade, andground wheel resiliently mounted near each end of the boom.

3. Apparatus for cutting celery comprising a framework disposedtransversely of the tractor, said tractor having a lifting bar adaptedto be moved by a suitable lifting mechanism of the tractor, a pair oflinks disposed at different elevations and having one of their endspivotally connected to the tractor and having their outer ends pivotallyconnected at diflerent elevations to the framework, means connecting thelifting bar of the tractor to the framework for raising and lowering theframework by swinging the same on its pivots, a plurality of verticallydisposed pipes secured on the framework, a plurality of substantiallyvertically disposed members slidably mounted in the pipes and having atransversely extending cutter blade thereon for cutting the celeryplants immediately below the top surface of the soil in which they aregrowing, a segmental gear on the upper end of eachpipe and a leverpivotally mounted thereon and connected to the vertically slidablemembers, said lever having a pawl for engaging said segmental gear forholding the vertically slidable member in adjusted position. v

4. In a celery cutting mechanism adapted to be secured to and drawn by atractor, said tractor having a lifting bar adapted to be moved by asuitable lift mechanism of the tractor, a framework comprising upper andlower pipes extending transversely of the tractor, a plurality ofvertically disposed pipes secured on the framework, each of said pipeshaving a vertically slida-ble member therein and provided with alaterally and rearwardly extending blade on its lower end for cuttingthe celery immediately below the top of the ground, a segmental gearsecured on the upper end of each vertically disposed pipe, a leverpivoted intermediate its ends on the gear and having one of its endspivotally connected to the vertically slidable member, said lever havinga pawl for engaging said gear to hold its vertically slidable member andits blade in adjusted position, means for pivotally securing theframework to the tractor comprising a pair of links associated with eachside of the tractor and having their front ends pivotally secured to thetractor frame one above the other, and having their rear ends pivotallysecured to the framework one above the other, crank means 75 for raisingand lowering the framework on its members, means connected to thetractor for,

a boom extending transversely of the wheeled 10 frame, said boomcomprising upper and lower members joined together by connectingmembers, a plurality of pipes secured in vetrical position on the boomand spaced from each other,

each of said pipes having a member slidably mounted therein, a segmentalgear and lever connecting each slidable member to its associated pipefor vertical adjustment of the slidable member relative to its pipe andto exert a positive downward push on the slidably mounted member, thelower end of each slidable member having one end of a downwardlylaterally and rearwardly projecting cutting blade connected thereto,means for raising and lowering the boom relative to the wheeled frame,and a resiliently mounted ground wheel secured near each end of theboom.

THOMAS J. BELL.

